Gigs, gigs and more gigs. We love gigs. Here is the pick of the best gigs for this week.
GIG ONE
On Monday we have BITTER STRINGS supporting THE VIEW at Rescue Rooms.
Slick Rock n Rollers BITTER STRINGS will add a touch of style to proceedings with their effortlessly cool 60s vibe. Street poet lyrics reminiscent of ALEX TURNER with a heavy ROLLING STONES influence, these guys will no doubt give THE VIEW a run for their money.
Up In Smoke from their new EP is an absolute stormer and impossible not to move to. Check out our review of them from The Chameleon HERE, then have a ganders at our Dot to Dot review of them HERE and then give them a listen on the Podcast and make your own mind up!
Get your tickets HERE.
Door: 19:00
Tickets: £15
GIG TWO
KAPPA GAMMA & KAGOULE @ The Bodega 20th June
In light of the almighty Splendour Festival on 21st July, The Bodega has thoughtfully decided to rally together some of Notts freshest home-grown talent who will be gracing the festival stages in the form of ‘The Road to Splendour’!
Kicking off this inevitably mind-blowing series of gigs is KAPPA GAMMA. Pioneers of disjointed complex rock with hints of a slightly heavier FOALS, KAPPA GAMMA’s beautiful music reaches as many sweeping highs as it does mellow spine-tingling lows. What’s not to like?
Supporting are the musical prodigies that are KAGOULE. Their earthquake inducing sound has been sending shockwaves throughout Nottingham for the past six months – their barrage of bass and harrowing vocals will leave you speechless, as you find yourself baring witness to three teenagers creating music that withers even the most hardened of gig goers. And having played the Jongleurs Stage alongside PULLED APART BY HORSES at Dot to Dot last week, this youthful threesome are proving to be on their way to big things in the near future – watch this space!
PRICE: £3
DOORS: 7pm
GIG THREE
Deep breath…this is a big un.
Brought to you from our comrades at AUDACIOUS FACE, I’M NOT FROM LONDON, LEFTLION, CASTLE ROCK and THE CANALHOUSE, THE NOTTINGHAM WATERFRONT FESTIVAL is back! Yes, the biggest and best live band benefit festival returns with one hell of a line up making it an absolute must in the Notts music calendar on Saturday the 23rd.
STAGE ONE(upstairs):
Kicking off the upstairs festivities are AUGUST ACTUALLY. Having only played their first show in May last year, this band have gone from strength to strength adding drums to the line-up and releasing a five-song ep. With their carefully crafted sound of indie-pop-folk tunes, AUGUST ACTUALLY will have your toes a-tappin’, starting the night in style.
Throwing some funk in to the mix, GREAT BRITISH WEATHER aim to get you groovin’. Expect the unexpected from these guys with syncopated drums, changes in tempo and immense build ups set to shake the stage.
Described as a ‘modern day mix of early Black Sabbath, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and Queens of the Stone Age‘, PARANOID TRAVELLERS will rock your world. With their unique blend of blues, psychedelia and heavy rock, the four-piece are one of the most exciting live acts out there, not to be missed.
Proving that guitar music is still alive and kicking, KILL CHAOS deliver some gritty, old-school rock. With more energy than a Duracell bunny, this 3-piece powerhouse will have you head banging with intoxicating hooks and unstoppable performances.
Prepare to fall in love when PRACTICAL LOVERS take to the stage. Their 80’s drum loops, and punk-infused bass lines are tinged with melancholy, reminiscent of indie giants The Smiths and Joy Division, and will captivate you from the very start.
Next up are potentially the greatest band named after a library BOOTS BOOKLOVERS. Worthy finalists at last year’s DOG IS DEAD competition, these boys provide fun-loving, loud-sounding guitar pop at its best.
Get ready to rumble for hardcore stoner rockers WIDOW. With heavy guitar riffs and growling vocals, WIDOW play music to make you mosh, and they do it harder, louder and faster than anyone else.
Previous Future Sound of Nottingham champions LONG DEAD SIGNAL follow. Intricate guitar and distorted vocals akin to Muse and Radiohead, the band continues to prove why they won the 2010 coveted spot and never fail to create an intense gigging experience.
Nottingham’s favourite rodent JIMMY THE SQUIRREL will mix up some reggae and ska beats with heavy rock undertones for your listening pleasure. These furry little fellas always raise the roof at their gigs and will have you jumping in no time.
Showing that girls can rock harder and louder and can do it in heels, THE SMEARS are here to smash any girl group preconceptions and smash the stage while they’re at it. Imagine the musical lovechild of Courtney Love and Patti Smith, with the attitude and vehemence of the Sex Pistols and you have THE SMEARS: Nottingham’s latest punk export.
BABY GODZILLA don’t make humans, but if they did, they would steal your beer, sleep with your girlfriend and punch you in the face. The champions of ‘general extreme noise’, this band will make your ears bleed combining the volume and intensity of punk and thrash to create a tangible wall of hardcore sound.
HALLOUMINATI are the grand finale for stage one. Playing their own somewhat unique sound of GypsyReggaeSkaBalkanFolkPunk mashup, this eight-piece always create a party atmosphere, rounding up the night in true festival style.
STAGE TWO:
Opening stage two we have those loveable rogues CAPTAIN DANGEROUS. Catchy, indie pop tunes and buckets of charisma, these boys always deliver a blistering, fun-filled set.
Hailing from the mean streets of Sneinton, PRAE VITA will send you into a trance with their brooding melodies. ‘Imagine an ocean of colour that responds to sound…’ and there you have the music of PRAE VITA, not to be missed.
FRESH EYES FOR THE DEAD GUY guarantee to get you moving. These energetic fellas combine the chaos of punk and the energy of thrash, tied together in a neat little four piece.
Heavy rockers WORSELINGS follow. With their carefully crafted storm of noise, these guys always deliver a good ol’ fashioned, chaos fuelled rock set.
Pop enthusiast NINA SMITH takes the mic next. Her soulful voice and enigmatic stage presence marks this songstress as something truly special.
DICK VENOM & THE TERRORTONES are the band your Grandma fears. Describing their sound as SurfTonal SwampRockin FuckPhonic Rockablilly, they’ll entice you with their rock n roll hooks and rockabilly sleaze.
Next are the epic sounds of THE BARNUM MESERVE. The combination of elaborate piano solos with the raw screams of Leon Wiley will send tingles down your spine, theatrical rock at its best.
Making math-rock fun since 2004 are the boys of YOU SLUT!. With a killer combination of odd time signatures, punk riffs with memorable melodies, YOU SLUT! will keep you on your toes.
The monstrous HOT JAPANESE GIRL are the penultimate act to this stage. With music to break a bone to, these frat boy metal heads always make for one of the most exciting and energetic live bands around.
Closing stage two, PILGRIM FATHERS are up. Delivering their brand of ethereal prog-rock, this five-piece will blow you away with their grandiose rock tunes and slick live effects. A fitting end to a banging line up.
STAGE THREE:
Starting the outdoor fun are three piece RISE UP THE SUN. Their quirky brand of folk pop akin to the likes of Mumford and Sons will get you smiling come rain or shine.
Continuing with the country flavour is Texas-born CHRIS REEVE. With bluegrass tinged melodies and lyrics covering everything from heartbreak to aggressive roosters, CHRIS REEVE and his banjo never disappoint.
Fresh-faced FRANKIE RUDOLPH is almost ‘almost too young to be this good’. At the tender age of 15 (!), Frankie delivers his sound of acoustic indie folk reminiscent of Ben Howard. You’ll have to see it to believe it, and once you’ve seen it you’ll be hooked.
MANIERE DES BOHEMIENS will take you on a cultural, musical journey. Inspired by a misspent youth and an abusive PE teacher, MANIERE DES BOHEMIENS create a unique blend of gypsy, folk and jazz and will have you swaying.
Up next, LIAM O’KANE will entrance you his blend of ska and folk. Also playing stage one with his band JIMMY THE SQUIRRELL, Liam and his guitar are a force to be reckoned with.
A well established staple of the Notts music scene, CHRIS MCDONALD plays stunning acoustic folk to tug at the heartstrings. Always delivering an utterly moving set he will have you mesmerised from the very first strum of his faithful acoustic. Influenced by folk God’s such as Phil Ochs, EVIL JACK has marked himself as one to watch out for. Playing a mixture of bluegrass, folk and rockabilly he is simply compelling- fun music as it should be.
From the remains of Allotment Dogs and Cho Cho San, FLYING ROBOT PIMP were born. Relentlessly entertaining, their power pop rock guarantees to raise your spirits.
Gravelly vocals juxtaposed with silky folk melodies mark WILL JEFFREY as a Notts music must-see. A definite pupil at the school of Johnny Cash, his ‘Beautifully Shambolic Smokey folk’ will make you swoon.
The charismatic ROB GREEN follows. The Nottingham born-and-bred singer takes to the stage armed this time with his backing band The Caution Collective, promising a set with some serious mother flippin’ soul.
For your electro cravings, TRAY ELECTRIC will set you straight. One man band Jody Betts provides dance floor friendly electronic with carefully crafted melodies and is a breath of fresh and funky air.
Closing the outdoor stage, WHOLESOME FISH create folk rock to dance to. With influences that range from Celtic and gypsy-rooted folk through to Cajun, bluegrass, boogie-blues, WHOLESOME FISH have a distinctive and established sound that is guaranteed to improve your life a little bit upon hearing.
With THREE whole stages brimming with fresh talent all for the insanely low price of just five pounds, there is no reason why you should not be at Nottingham’s Canal house on Saturday 23rd June. See you there.
START: 12.00
PRICE:£5
Yours in Love of New Music,
Tom Hadfield, Cerys Owen, Maddie Hammond x
#spreadthelove
